Recipe Courtesy of Landon Shoenfeld, Head Chef of Haute Dish

Recipe courtesy of Landon Shoenfeld, Head Chef of ‘Haute Dish’

Chilled Cream of Tomato Soup

Soup Base

6 large ripe heirloom tomatoes (I used a mixture of Brandywines, Candy Old Yellow and Black Krim 2ea) 20 leaves of basil 2-3 garlic cloves 1 ½ T sea salt ½ cup local honey (preferably Hegreberg’s) 1 cup cream 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cut the tomatoes up in large chunks and toss with garlic, basil, salt and honey. Allow the tomato mixture to macerate for 15-20 mins. Puree the tomatoes in a blender for up to 5 mins or until completely smooth, add the cream and olive oil with the blender running and puree for a minute more. Adjust the seasoning with salt and honey if needed.

Charred Eggplant Puree

1 large eggplant ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil juice of 1-2 lemons salt to taste

Char the eggplant over an open flame until it is completely black and burnt. Puree with the olive oil and lemon, season with salt

Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant, fine diced 1 summer squash, fine diced 1 zucchini, fine diced ½ red onion, fine diced ½ cup finely chopped sweet pickled peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 basil leaves, chiffonade ¼ finely chopped tomato lots of olive oil

Sweat the eggplant in olive oil until golden brown, drain in a colander. Sweat the zucchini and summer squash together in olive oil until softened, drain in a colander. Sweat the red onion in olive oil until soft, at the last second add the garlic and sweat for a moment more before draining in a colander. At this point you can combine all the sautéed vegetable together in a mixing bowl and add the peppers, tomatoes, basil, and more olive oil, this time to dress the vegetable, season with salt

Garnishes

Sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, the more variety and color the better Pickled teardrop peppers Itsy bitsy basil leaves Sea salt Olive oil

Final Presentation

Put a pool of the charred eggplant puree on the bottom of each soup bowl. Add a nice scoop of the ratatouille on top. Arrange the sliced heirloom tomatoes and teardrop pepper artfully around the ratatouille and eggplant puree. Carefully top with the basil leaves and flecks of sea salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

Let your guests bask in the wonder and glory of the season, before you add the soup base to their bowls.